Special Report Transcript Episode 8, Section 4, Time 16:41

Also a time to discuss forgiveness, versus justice. The need for the truth, white fears and the role of the Truth Commission. On Wednesday night we joined Siphiwo Mtimkulu’s former comrades and friends to debate and discuss these issues. They are all former or current members of the South African Congress of Students of which Siphiwo was the leader. Many of them were also detained and tortured during the eighties. // How do I feel against the people who tortured me? I think … I can always forgive them. // Do you want to take revenge? // Not at all. No one wants to take any revenge. // People should come out, whatever things that have happened, people should come out and say them so that you begin to lose this weight in your heart or mind, you see. // The new culture in our country is based on transparency, accountability and mandate. The party which is leading today in the culture of unity, its having a vision, it’s having a certain culture it want to instill in our people that whenever you do something you must account to your countrymen. Whenever you have been sent to do something you must come back and report to your countrymen. And whatever wrong you have done, you must be open and say, well, I admit I have gone wrong.But now, all those things that Niewoudt, Roelofs, du Plessis and all other implicated policemen must come forth, put their story and then, because the Truth and Reconciliation Commission seeks to reconcile the nation, we can then say let bygones be bygones. In other words, we can forgive them. // People like that should not be granted amnesty, because they had brain to think. // It’s a no-win situation for Niewoudt, or any of his friends. No-win situation. You go you …. He must just come, and it’s even worse if he doesn’t come. // They are not the right people for the type of society that we want. // What should we do with them? // We should take them to the prison. // Do you think there were some policemen that were so bad during the eighties that they can’t get amnesty? // No ways. // We’ve got what is referred to as Ubuntu, right, that is humanity, respect of other people’s integrity and life. // But in general, people are saying give them a chance, come forward. In other words, they are forgiving them. One of the reasons is the Mandela factor. The kind of leader we have in South Africa is an example, a shining example. We’ve seen that it is important not to have a grudge. It is important at times to forgive and forget. Because Mandela commands respect in the whole of this country, people are following that example. // Nobody has got a right to kill here. Nobody got a right to take any other person’s life. // We saw histories unfolding on the continent. We saw where not to forgive could lead to. We don’t want to follow the same pattern, you see. It will lead us to nowhere. There won’t be any winners in that kind of situation.

Notes: Former comrade; Interviewer

References: there are no references for this transcript